In their attempt to become, in effect, a socially-acceptable religion–getting military chaplains, vaunting how moral they are, and evangelizing the unenlightened–atheists are trying to start a holiday. May 5 is the National Day of Reason! I love holidays and I love reason, so I am willing to celebrate. . .uh, what is it we are celebrating? I will try to set aside time to think. But don’t we need something more to inspire our observance, to give it some meaning? … Read more
The Museum of Broken Relationships
May 5, 2011 By Gene Veith
26 Comments
Art of our times, from the University of Houston: For two weeks this May, Blaffer Art Museum presents an exhibition from the permanent collection of the Museum of Broken Relationships. In collaboration with the American Association of Museum’s 2011 Annual Meeting, which is being held in Houston May 22 – 25, 2011, the exhibition will feature detritus from failed relationships – be it a wedding dress, an “I Love You” teddy bear, or a set of fluffy handcuffs – donated… Read more
The vocation of the warrior
May 5, 2011 By Gene Veith
64 Comments
Paul McCain quotes Martin Luther’s treatise Can Soldiers Too Be Saved?: …In the same way, when I think of a soldier fulfilling his office by punishing the wicked, killing the wicked, and creating so much misery, it seems an un-Christian work completely contrary to Christian love. But when I think of how it protects the good and keeps and preserves wife and child, house and farm, property, and honor and peace, then I see how precious and godly this work… Read more
Urban Legends pastors tell
May 4, 2011 By Gene Veith
94 Comments
As I’ve often complained, a major way that urban legends get spread around is as sermon illustrations. Some of these are more in the related genre of scholarly legends. But thanks to Trevin Wax for catching these: 1. The “eye of the needle” refers to a gate outside Jerusalem. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God,” says Jesus in Mark 10:25. Maybe… Read more
“Screwtape Letters”: The Movie
May 4, 2011 By Gene Veith
19 Comments
Yet another seemingly unlikely book by C. S. Lewis is getting made into a movie: Ralph Winter, producer of the X-Men films and a self-professed Christian, is set to produce the film version of The Screwtape Letters in a partnership with Fox and Walden Media, the studio that produced the Narnia films, as well as Bridge to Terabithia and Charlotte’s Web. Fox has owned the film rights to The Screwtape Letters since the 1950s, and adapting Lewis’ 1942 satirical novel… Read more
How should Christians react to bin Laden’s death?
May 4, 2011 By Gene Veith
44 Comments
Rev. Jacob Ehrhard offers nine points for reflection on how Christians should react to the killing of Osama bin Laden: 1. The prophet Ezekiel writes, “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Eze 33:11) A Christian does not find delight… Read more
Closure for 9/11?
May 3, 2011 By Gene Veith
118 Comments
My theory of our recent wars–as I said at the time they started–is that after the 9/11 attacks, America was so enraged that we had to strike back. We invaded Afghanistan, seizing control of the country in weeks. But that was not enough. We still needed to strike somebody. So we attacked our old enemy Saddam Hussein and invaded Iraq. It wasn’t that we thought he was involved in 9/11. But we felt the need to fight. I’m not saying… Read more
Equal rights for atheists
May 3, 2011 By Gene Veith
64 Comments
We have had movements for equal rights for African-Americans, women, gays. The next victimized, discriminated against minority who are demanding approval: Atheists! The Washington Post has published an op-ed piece by Gregory Paul and Phil Zuckerman, raising the issue and asking “Why don’t Americans like atheists?” Long after blacks and Jews have made great strides, and even as homosexuals gain respect, acceptance and new rights, there is still a group that lots of Americans just don’t like much: atheists. Those… Read more
Taxing companies out of the state
May 3, 2011 By Gene Veith
0 Comments
Illinois needs more money. So it has slapped more taxes on its businesses. Whereupon more businesses are leaving the state. So Illinois needs more money. Here is a lesson in unintended consequences, how governments trying to raise revenue by raising taxes can end up killing the golden goose. George Will tells the tale, focusing first on the effects of an Illinois law requiring that its on-line businesses charge their customers sales-tax, which has resulted in those on-line businesses leaving the… Read more
“Great Divorce”: The Movie
May 3, 2011 By Gene Veith
20 Comments
C. S. Lewis’s Great Divorce is getting made into a movie! That symbolic/visionary/satirical/fantasy of a bus trip from Hell to a too-solid Heaven would seem to be hard to render in a film, but that’s part of what makes the prospect interesting. The writer tapped to write the screenplay? N. D. Wilson (the son of Douglas Wilson, whom some of you may know of). Justin Taylor interviews him about the project: How do you take a set of episodes and… Read more
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